Length Is the Key to Olajuwon’s Contract

NEW YORK — The contract signed by Akeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets could be more significant for its length, 12 years, than for its reported $2.5 million a year average, in the view of Larry Fleisher, executive director of the NBA Players Assn.

“There are some players who are making close to that, some more and some less,” said Fleisher, who is also a players agent. “If this signifies any trend at all, and I’m not sure it does, I don’t think it would be money. I think it would be long-term contracts, which seem to be becoming more common now.”

Fleisher sees both good and bad in the long term arrangements.

“The club owners may feel they are locking in the future with this type of contract, making it so they know what their financial obligations will be long term.

“It does give the player security for himself and his family, but the important thing is that the player who signs a long-term contract must understand what he is signing. You look at salaries over the past 10 years, some players (signing long-term contracts) may be shortchanging themselves.

“But I think the thing that is most dangerous about (long-term contracts) is that four or five years down the road the player may look around and decide he has to renegotiate the contract,” Fleisher added.

“That’s not good for anybody, but especially the player because he is negotiating out of weakness.”

Olajuwon, Houston’s 7-foot center and half of their Twin Towers, signed a contract extension that will keep him in a Rockets’ uniform until the 1997-1998 NBA season.

The 12-year agreement includes a renegotiation of the remaining four years of Olajuwon’s previous contract. According to published reports, the new pact will pay him a reported $1,082,250 this year and will escalate to $1,797,660 in 1989-90. His average salary for the length of the new contract, all of which is guaranteed, reportedly will be $2.5 million.

Fleisher, who does not represent Olajuwon but does represent a number of other NBA players, said, “I think those figures are pretty close to what I have been hearing. I think that could influence some players (in their contract negotiations), but it probably will just be used by most as a guide to what else is going on.”

The Nigerian-born Olajuwon, was in the third year of a six-year contract that paid him an estimated $882,000 per year. He got an eight-year extension from Rockets owner Charlie Thomas.

Now Thomas can start negotiations with the other half of the Twin Towers, 7-4 Ralph Sampson, whose $1.1 million per year contract ends this season.

Bruce Stockberger, who represents Sampson, said he and his client are “looking at it (Olajuwon’s contract) from all different angles. We’ve decided we’re going to just sit tight for a while and see what happens.

“Ralph just doesn’t want to deal with this right now,” Stockberger added. “I think he’s just glad to be back on the floor now.”

Sampson, after recently recovering from a sprained left ankle, Tuesday night went out again with a sprained right ankle.

In two previous NBA seasons, Olajuwon has averaged 22.0 points and 16.5 rebounds. This season, the 23-year-old is off to his best start as a pro.

He leads the league in rebounding with a 14.9 average, ranks fifth in scoring with a 26.4 average, second in steals with a 3.14 average and second in blocked shots with a 3.86 per game average.